Summer Celebration

Gallery 1261 is gearing up for its annual 1261 Summer Show, featuring works by more than 10 of the Denver gallery's top artists. Collectors can expect to find at least 50 fresh and original artworks. The growing roster of participating artists includes Gregory Block, Scott Conary, Valerio D'Ospina, Hollis Dunlap, Daniel Sprick, Tibor Nagy, Vincent Xeus, Elizabeth Zanzinger and Heather Neill, with others being added as the show approaches. Among the many show highlights, is the detailed work of Gregory Block, known for his exploration of an array of subject matter. "My work has always been, and I hope always will be, a fluid interpretation of how I see the world," explains Block. "That means no subject matter or technique is ever off the table. I consider myself a contemporary realist because while I generally strive to paint the 'reality' of my subjects, I do so with a keen awareness of the fact that all our true realities are subjective."

- By Chelsea Koressel

Block's painting After is one in a continuing body of work featuring donuts that began following a cycling accident in 2018. "I broke 20 bones, underwent several surgeries and, months later, found myself stiff, sore, underweight and painting dark, brooding still lifes," the artist shares. "One morning, my housemates brought home a box of donuts to share, and when I opened it, I immediately knew this was the world in which I needed to immerse myself to heal. The play of light and shadow on the donuts, all those robust forms, colors, textures—it was beauty and joy in a box! To this day, I've never seen a box of donuts that isn't full of sensory excitement."